[ Derek's impassive, as Tate decides. Again, the last thing he wants to do is force him to do anything he wants to do; if Tate slinks away from him and puts as much distance between them on this seat as he can, Derek's not going to chase after him. He's just... trying to make him comfortable.
It's been a long time since Tate was scared to touch another guy. A long time since they've had talks about sexuality, and what it means, and the life Tate's afforded in a world as open and freeing as this one. But - being consoled is still hard, even for the most secure of people. Tate looks like he's going to shoot him down, for a second there, and Derek slowly starts to pull his arm back.
But then Tate surprises him. He takes the invitation, making himself small and thin, like he doesn't want to be a bother, or like he doesn't want to make this real by putting too much of his weight into what they're doing. That changes, bit by bit, and Derek lets it, focusing on nothing but the sound of the rain and the waves it washes down the den's floor to ceiling windows. When Tate settles, tells him he misses Violet -
Derek understands that, too. ]
I know.
[ He pulls Tate a little closer, just to gently, quietly punctuate that he wants this, and moves his arm to rest closer over Tate's shoulder, down his chest. His hand is just by Tate's side, and Derek lightly, lightly strokes the parts of him he can reach, calm and steady and reassuring. He can hear Tate's heartbeat, heavy as it is. Derek's at a loss on how to ease his pain. ]
I'm going to... do what I can. Not just in trying to find her - in everything. You just need to ask me for something, and - you'll get it. Whatever I can do to make your life a little better.
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It's been a long time since Tate was scared to touch another guy. A long time since they've had talks about sexuality, and what it means, and the life Tate's afforded in a world as open and freeing as this one. But - being consoled is still hard, even for the most secure of people. Tate looks like he's going to shoot him down, for a second there, and Derek slowly starts to pull his arm back.
But then Tate surprises him. He takes the invitation, making himself small and thin, like he doesn't want to be a bother, or like he doesn't want to make this real by putting too much of his weight into what they're doing. That changes, bit by bit, and Derek lets it, focusing on nothing but the sound of the rain and the waves it washes down the den's floor to ceiling windows. When Tate settles, tells him he misses Violet -
Derek understands that, too. ]
I know.
[ He pulls Tate a little closer, just to gently, quietly punctuate that he wants this, and moves his arm to rest closer over Tate's shoulder, down his chest. His hand is just by Tate's side, and Derek lightly, lightly strokes the parts of him he can reach, calm and steady and reassuring. He can hear Tate's heartbeat, heavy as it is. Derek's at a loss on how to ease his pain. ]
I'm going to... do what I can. Not just in trying to find her - in everything. You just need to ask me for something, and - you'll get it. Whatever I can do to make your life a little better.